A new grass fire truck purchased by the Ionia Department of Public Safety may keep local residents safer this winter.

The 2012 Ford F-350 four-wheel-drive crew cab pick-up truck is outfitted with a 6.2 liter engine, a 13 HP fire pump, plus water and foam tanks, hoses, ground sweep nozzles mounted into the front brushguard, and other equipment. The rig will be “first out” when the department is called to fight brush fires during the spring, said IDPS Dep. Diirector John Odette. The number of calls in a grass fire season can range from three to more than 15. The IDPS also responds to mutual aid calls from other communities.

But during the winter months, the truck will be used as a “people hauler” to fire scenes, as well as a second truck with personnel who can light and set up the scene so firefighters can focus on fighting the fire, Odette said. The truck is equipped with off-road scene lights and LED floodlights.

With Mickey Thompson 35-inch off-road tires, the truck also will be used in inclement weather by medical first responders answering calls in rural Easton Township and Ionia Township, as well as in Ionia, during heavy snowfall when plows have not yet cleared the roads and driveways.

“It’s a multi-purpose truck that we’ll use as much as possible,” Odette said.

The cost of the truck, just shy of $90,000, was shared by the two townships, which each paid $20,000, and the city of Ionia, which paid the balance.

After some additional detailing and winterizing, the truck will go into service in mid-December, said Odette.

SCBA packs in use

The IDPS also received the 23 new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) packs, bottles and spare bottles it purchased with a grant from FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters program. Public safety officers were trained Wednesday in the use of the new equipment.

The SCBAs supply firefighters and other rescue workers with breathable air when they are working in a dangerous environment. Voice amplification devices for the masks also were purchased so firefighters can stay in communication with one another at the fire scene.

The department received $136,894 from FEMA this summer, and contributed a 5-percent match of $7,204, for a total of 144,098 for new equipment.

“The SCBA pack allows the firefighter to enter life-threatening areas, where there is smoke, fire or poisonous fumes, to rescue people,” Odette said. “The rescuer can get to any downed person and can supply that person with clean air or remove them from hazardous conditions.”

The packs also can be used in scenes where hazardous materials are present, and in tactical situations where gas or chemical munitions might be used so that officers are not affected, Odette added.

Page 2 of 2 - Packs will be available on each of the department’s fire trucks and in the new police SUV.